# Building a Humidor



## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

Hello all,

So I'm building a humidor and I thought I'd make a thread, posting picture updates as progress goes along.

I'm very much open to input from others, but this is what I have so far:
-12"w x 6"h x 9"d
-1/4" Spanish Cedar Interior
-Maple (preferably burled) exterior
-Corded row at bottom
I know there's lots more to do, but I figured I'd get the woodwork done first.

I'm sure it won't be the best humidor seen on here, but I thought it would be a great way for me to break the ice as a new member and get input from those with more experience in the world of cigars than myself.

So any advice or comments?


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## RazzBarlow (Dec 8, 2009)

Take your time. You'll never look back at it and go "Man, I sure got that done fast!" But you may look back on it and go "I wish I would have taken a little more time to get X done perfectly" It will tick you off every time you look at it.

Secondly, I'll say it before someone else does. Make it twice as big as you think you will need.

Marshall


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## MoreBeer (Feb 13, 2010)

If I were to build a humidor, I'd make a big one...more of a cabinet at least large enough to hold 500 or so sticks. Small humi's are a dime a dozen so why not go big? You'll probably be glad you did.


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## LincolnSmokes (Nov 5, 2009)

RazzBarlow said:


> Secondly, I'll say it before someone else does. Make it twice as big as you think you will need.


You'll get this from a lot of us, always go bigger than you think. Bigger is Better!!!mg:


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## CheapHumidors (Aug 30, 2007)

Good luck! I'm sure it'll turn out great


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## mlbar1153 (Mar 4, 2009)

True, go bigger. You will kick youself very quickly if it is to small.


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

Alright, so bigger is better.
I didn't want to go too big, because I wanted to keep it on my desk (kind of like a center-piece). But I'll definitely keep that in mind when I go check out some prices today.


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

Alright, so I went through all the different exotic wood distributors in my city (there weren't too many), and I changed my mind.
What do you guys think of a clear stain on cherry or walnut with a birdseye maple inlay?

I wanted to do a deeper red with the blonde maple for contrast, but I don't know how to do a darker stain right beside a clear stain (waxingmoon has an example of something similar on his website). Any ideas how it's done?


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## dirletra (Apr 14, 2009)

Cool. Cant wait to see some pics.


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

So I went to the woodyard today and I picked out some walnut and maple, I found some OK pieces, but nothing special. Hopefully I'll find some stuff elsewhere and I'll have some pics up within a week or so. I'm in no rush so there might not be any progress for a while though.


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## Gatorguy (Jan 28, 2010)

Syner, where are you getting your 1/4" spanish cedar from? I need a good source for my humi project.


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## socapots (Feb 22, 2010)

cool stuff man.
Definitely keep us updated with pics.


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

Gatorguy said:


> Syner, where are you getting your 1/4" spanish cedar from? I need a good source for my humi project.


I actually buy 1" or 2". If I had a band saw I'd do it on there, but I just use my table saw to rip the boards down to 1/4".
Because I can't get my table saw blade high enough all the time, I actually cut and laminate smaller pieces to cover larger areas.

I think rockler sells 1/4", but I'm not 100% sure because I don't like ordering lumber online (I like to hand pick each piece that I buy) so I can't give any positive or negative feedback about them. I'll take a look around and see if I can make a list of online retailers who sell it though.


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

Would that I was able to build a humidor as smoking cigars is one of the best hobbies out there. Id love to turn my whole study into a combo cigar/study but I know the wife would nix that idea in a heartbeat so I guess I will have to just enjoy the patio off the study.


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## ejgarnut (Sep 28, 2009)

Syner said:


> So I went to the woodyard today and I picked out some walnut and maple, I found some OK pieces, but nothing special. Hopefully I'll find some stuff elsewhere and I'll have some pics up within a week or so. I'm in no rush so there might not be any progress for a while though.


those woods are a nice choice for contrast


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

Gary: That would be awesome! You're lucky you live in San Diego so you can smoke outside all year round. I live in Canada, so winter smoking can get mighty cold.
I'm hoping to build a new house in a few years and I had a similar idea to yours. I was already dreaming I wanted a closet humidor in my study as well as a ventilation system so my girlfriend would allow me to smoke inside when it gets too cold out.

Terry: Thanks, I thought those would be really nice together. I originally wanted a deep red, but I think this will look much better, especially with the natural tones highlighting and contrasting each other at the same time.


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## WaxingMoon (Aug 13, 2009)

Syner said:


> I actually buy 1" or 2". If I had a band saw I'd do it on there, but I just use my table saw to rip the boards down to 1/4".
> Because I can't get my table saw blade high enough all the time, I actually cut and laminate smaller pieces to cover larger areas.


I hear ya about using the tablesaw.... My bandsaw don't have much clearance either.... so, what I do, if I want a larger panel is do the table saw thing all the way around to make a guide for the hand saw, and that reduces the amount that needs sawn.... And then I get midevil on it...


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

That's actually a really good idea Waxingmoon! I never thought of that. I'll have to do that for the bottom of the one I'm building right now because that'll work much better.
Thanks for the tip!


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

I ran into a little time setback with work and school, but I'm now back on this project.

I just went out today and picked up a nice piece of walnut. It took me a while to find a piece that I liked, but I think the grain pattern in this piece will end up looking really good.
Hopefully, I can find a piece of maple that I like tomorrow...


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## DPaulhesk (Apr 25, 2010)

Suggestion: build in dividers or levels! The one thing I regret about the humidor I built was that I didn't put in sections to separate the heavier-bodied ones from the lighter ones. After a while, the flavours will 'migrate' and everything in the box will taste similar. I ended up chopping up a cigar box and putting in dividers afterwards, but it would have been so much nicer to have them integrated.

Don't forget to leave space for humidification. Mine is a magnetic device that holds onto the lid. Works great.

Show us photos when you're done!


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

DPaulhesk said:


> Suggestion: build in dividers or levels! The one thing I regret about the humidor I built was that I didn't put in sections to separate the heavier-bodied ones from the lighter ones. After a while, the flavours will 'migrate' and everything in the box will taste similar. I ended up chopping up a cigar box and putting in dividers afterwards, but it would have been so much nicer to have them integrated.
> 
> Don't forget to leave space for humidification. Mine is a magnetic device that holds onto the lid. Works great.
> 
> Show us photos when you're done!


Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

I was actually going to make some cuts and get some pictures up today, but one of the teeth on the gear that raises my blade finally wore through. Oh well, now I have to wait for new table-saw parts before I can continue...


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## DPaulhesk (Apr 25, 2010)

For 1/4" Spanish Cedar, take a look at Rockler.com or any of a number of other online "lumber yards."


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

DPaulhesk said:


> For 1/4" Spanish Cedar, take a look at Rockler.com or any of a number of other online "lumber yards."


Yea, I think I said somewhere below that Rockler sells 1/4", but I get it at a better price if I just by 1" or 2" stock and rip it down to 1/4".


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

Tablesaw parts are in, walnut is cut, and maple is cut as well.

I took some pictures the night before last and was intending to glue the box together yesterday, but when I was about to start... the maple cupped. I'm overextending it while I'm at work today and hopefully I'll be able to finish gluing tonight or tomorrow. I'll post some pics when I get home for you guys to see what I have done thusfar.


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

For your viewing pleasure as promised:

I'm thinking of making some cove or angled cuts on the top and I'm not sure how I want to do the corners, sharp or rounded? Any suggestions?


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## KINGLISH (Jul 27, 2009)

Looking very good!!


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Syner said:


> Hello all,
> 
> So I'm building a humidor and I thought I'd make a thread, posting picture updates as progress goes along.
> 
> ...


Nice job keep us posted.
:woohoo:


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## SmoknTaz (Jun 18, 2008)

Looking good Vaughn.


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

Thanks guys, I'll keep you updated as often as I can.


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## DeeSkank (May 26, 2010)

Looking good :tu

More pictures FTW.


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

Last night I was messing with some clear finishing oil on a scrap piece of walnut and this is what I got. Let me know what you guys think of it.

The unfinished wood is on top, and the finished is on the bottom.


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## Humidor Minister (Oct 5, 2007)

That brings out the grain and color nicely. what kind of oil is it? If it's Boiled linseed oil, or any oil for that matter, be sure to spread the rags out and let them dry. They can self combust if you wad them up. I found this rag in my pile one morning. Could have lost everything.


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

Humidor Minister said:


> That brings out the grain and color nicely. what kind of oil is it? If it's Boiled linseed oil, or any oil for that matter, be sure to spread the rags out and let them dry. They can self combust if you wad them up. I found this rag in my pile one morning. Could have lost everything.


Thanks, it's Deft Danish Finishing Oil. I've never used it before, but I thought it really brought out the grain nicely as well.

Scary stuff. I've never had that happen, but I rinse the rags thoroughly with water and leave them spread out to dry on the driveway.

By the way, I was looking at your thread, and that humidor looks amazing! I can only hope mine turns out half as good as yours! Great job!


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## DeeSkank (May 26, 2010)

The oil brings out the grain nicely!


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## LazyWarg (Jun 10, 2010)

The contrast between the two woods that you used for the box is gorgeous!

Looking forward to seeing the finished product.


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## Humidor Minister (Oct 5, 2007)

Thanks. I had originally heard about the oil combusting from a tragic story. A guy burned his house down and killed his family. He was imprisioned for years before the truth came out. He was then set free. What a horrible ordeal. Gotta look out for my fellow BOTL. My favorite oil is Tung oil. If you do 4 to 5 coats 24 hrs apart, it really gets a beautiful, natural look to it. PM me if you want to try it. I've got some tricks to getting it right. Good luck with the project.


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

I remember an accident with oil soaked rags happening in a shop around my place as well! I'm glad I'm not using them.
I ended up using 400ct waterproof sandpaper to apply the oil. That way the oil collects the sawdust in any imperfections/open grain resulting in an exact color match along with a perfectly smooth surface.

It's been a couple of days, so it's time for an update:
I oiled all the walnut, sealing the grain. I then glued everything together, cut the top angles, and rounded the corners.
Tomorrow I'll sand the top and I should be applying my last coat of oil on Saturday morning.
I'll get some more pictures up for you guys tomorrow.


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

Life has been pretty crazy lately and I completely forgot to post pics. Here are a couple, I just cut the lid off today, so I'll try and get some pics of that up ASAP.


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## thegoldenmackid (Mar 16, 2010)

That looks amazing. Great work Vaughn.


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## CrashTECH (Jul 8, 2009)

What did you use to cut the lid off?


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

Thanks Charlie.

Ben: I used a table saw to run around the perimeter, leaving 1/16" excess to hold the lid in place. I then cut the excess off with a dovetail saw, and I'll be sanding everything smooth tonight.


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## Humidor Minister (Oct 5, 2007)

Your project is coming along nicely. I do have one concern though. If the Maple in the lid is solid, it may expand and dislocate the mitered corners over time. This will be due to the high humidity of a humidor. Wood expansion is a powerful hydraulic effect. Almost nothing can stop it. When I make lids, I use a veneer for the center over a solid substrate. If you live in an area where it's more humid, you may never have a problem but if in a dry climate, it may become an issue. Only time will tell. I do wish you the best of luck though. keep the pics coming.


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

Humidor Minister said:


> Your project is coming along nicely. I do have one concern though. If the Maple in the lid is solid, it may expand and dislocate the mitered corners over time. This will be due to the high humidity of a humidor. Wood expansion is a powerful hydraulic effect. Almost nothing can stop it. When I make lids, I use a veneer for the center over a solid substrate. If you live in an area where it's more humid, you may never have a problem but if in a dry climate, it may become an issue. Only time will tell. I do wish you the best of luck though. keep the pics coming.


To tell you the truth, that was one of my major worries as well.
I was originally thinking of using a veneer but I didn't know what to use under it (some say MDF and others say plywood). What do you use?
Also, I'm not 100% sure how to make a veneer.

I'll be at the lake for about a week, but I'll have some pictures up when I get home.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Syner said:


> Life has been pretty crazy lately and I completely forgot to post pics. Here are a couple, I just cut the lid off today, so I'll try and get some pics of that up ASAP.


Very nice!mg:


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

Thanks Tony.

There hasn't been much progress due to a basement reno I'm working on, so hopefully I get a chance to finish this humidor before another job pops up.

The lid is cut off though, and the oil has been curing for about 3 weeks now so it should be ready for polyurethane when I'm done work.


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## Fury556 (Oct 10, 2010)

Any updates on this? I kinda wanna build my own also, even though I have very little tools at my disposal.


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

Fury556 said:


> Any updates on this? I kinda wanna build my own also, even though I have very little tools at my disposal.


Sorry, there basically hasn't been any progress since the end of July. Everything is done except the cedar lining, hinges, and sealant/buffing.
Between being a full time student, a renovation business, and second full time job, I haven't had much time to work on it. I'm hoping to have some more progress in the next little while though.


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## Citizen Zero (Nov 1, 2010)

Kudos for the effort. I would love to try to build my own. I'm planning on investing in some woodworking tools in the future. Needless to say, a humidor will be my first endeavor.


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

Well, well... Look what I found!

With work and school, it's been about 10 months since I last worked on this. I felt it was time to finally finish. :nod:

Anyway, last night I drilled the placing of the barrel hinges and I cut the mortise for the lid support, so tonight will be the first coat of polyurethane.
Hope you guys like the pics!

EDIT - I don't know what's going on with the pictures guys, if they aren't up by tomorrow I'll just post my Flickr account so you guys can see them there.


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## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

Let's try this again...


__
https://flic.kr/p/5813627892


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https://flic.kr/p/5813627688

Hmm... can't seem to get this to work. Just check out my Flickr account if you're interested


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Nice job!:smoke2::smoke2::smoke2::smoke2::smoke2:


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## NoShhhSherlock (Mar 30, 2011)

Very nice Vaughn!


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